Holder for x-ray cassettes

ABSTRACT

A holder, capable of being sterilized, for X-ray cassettes comprises a container having an open flared top. A cap for said container has an open bottom with an outwardly extending flare to facilitate entry of the flare on said container. Said cap has an indentation located therearound near its top so it can be snapped over the flared open end of said container. A seal member is located around said container to mate with the inner side of the flared portion of said cap. The cap is attached to the container by hinge straps. Said container and cap material is semi-rigid (non-collapsible) and also transparent and capable of permitting the passage of X-rays.

[111 3,829,699 [451 Aug. 13, 1974 HOLDER FOR X-RAY CASSETTES [76]Inventor: William E. Anspach, Jr., 3896 Burns Rd., North Palm Beach,Fla. 33403 [22] Filed: Nov. 15, 1972 [211 App]. No.: 306,562

[52] US. Cl. 250/475, 250/472 [51] Int. Cl H05g l/00 [58] Field ofSearch 250/68, 65 R, 67, 69, 475,

250/472, 480, 481, 482; 206/632 R, 46 ST 3,567,934 3/1971 Clarke .1250/482 Primary ExaminerJames W. Lawrence Assistant ExaminerB. C.Anderson Attorney, Agent, or Firm.lack N. McCarthy [5 7 ABSTRACT Aholder, capable of being sterilized, for X-ray cassettes comprises acontainer having an open flared top. A cap for said container has anopen bottom with an outwardly extending flare to facilitate entry of theflare on said container. Said cap has an indentation located therearoundnear its top so it can be snapped over the flared open end of saidcontainer. A seal member is located around said container to mate withthe inner side of the flared portion of said cap. The cap is attached tothe container by hinge straps. Said container and cap material issemi-rigid (noncollapsible) and also transparent and capable ofpermitting the passage of X-rays.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures HOLDER FOR X-RAY CASSE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to sterilized means for holding andusing X-ray cassettes in an operating room and contains improvementsadvancing the art.

X-rays are frequently taken during the course of surgical procedures toverify the placement of metallic implants, nails, screws, etc. The X-rayfilm in its cassette, must be placed directly in contact with thepatient during these procedures. The patient is covered by sterilesheets during the operation and the surgeon and his assistants areclothed in sterile gowns and gloves so that bacterial contamination ofthe open wound is minimized. The X-ray cassette must be placed in asterile cover before it can be allowed to come in contact with thepatient or touched by the surgeon. Customarily the surgeon holds thefilm in place or it is supported on the patient while the X-rays aretaken. Since the X-ray cassette must be reloaded after each picture istaken, a new sterile cover must be applied for each shot.

At the present time it is common practice for the surgeon to use afolded, sterile pillow case and hold it open while the unsterile X-raycassette is dropped into it. The cassette is a rectangular,four-cornered, heavy metal object usually measuring X 12 X inches. Manydisadvantages of such a system are apparent. As the dirty (unsterile)cassette slides into the opening of the flexible envelope, the edge ofthe envelope can easily become contaminated with bacteria. As thesurgeon folds the envelope or pillow case closed, there is a good chanceof contamination of his sterile gloves by inadvertently touching theportion of the envelope that came in contact with the cassette. A seconddisadvantage, when a cloth envelope is used, is that the sharp cornersof the cassette frequently catch on the flexible cloth material and makeit difflcult for the film to slide into place. Time is exceedinglyimportant in surgical procedures, as the longer the wound is open andthe longer the patient is under anesthesia, the greater are the chancesof complications. A third disadvantage is that it is difficult to keep apillow case or flexible cover closed after the cassette has been droppedinto it, thus allowing further chance of contamination of the surgicalwound. A fourth disadvantage is that if an opaque material is used, suchas is commonwith a pillow case, the surgeon cannot tell which side ofthe X-ray film is facing the wound. Such knowledge is essential becauseif the cassette is placed with its back toward the wound, the filmtherein will not be exposed when the cassette is subjected to X-rays.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide aholder for X-ray cassettes which can be made sterile and easily used inan operating room by a surgeon without fear of contamination of thepatient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder for an X-raycassette which is fonned of a semi-rigid (non-collapsible) materialwhich is also transparent and capable of permitting the passage ofX-rays; said holder being formed of a container having a flared open endso that the X-ray cassette can be dropped into it without difficulty,and a cap having a flared end so that it can be placed over the top ofthe container without difficulty, with means being provided within thecap for snapping over the flared open end of the con- 'tainer.

The holders are supplied pre-sterilized to the operating room in aclear, flexible package so that they can be dropped therefrom out ontothe instrument table and be instantly available for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for attaching thecap to the container so that it cannot become separated therefrom andmisplaced or become contaminated and can also be easily hinged to aposition from which the cap can be readily applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide means on said containerwhich will seal with the inner side of the cap to prevent any bacteriafrom escaping from within the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portion of the surfaceof the container as roughened or knurled to provide a gripping surfacefor the surgeon to prevent the holder from being pulled from his gripwhen the cassette is placed into the container. The seal memberprojecting around the edge of the container will also aid in thisrespect.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portion of the bottomsurface of the container as roughened or knurled to prevent the bottomof the container from slipping on a surface when the holder has been setupright on its bottom and leaned against an object, such as a patient.

With the holder made of transparent material, the surgeon is permittedto see at a glance that the cassette is in its proper position relativeto the patient for receiving X-rays. The rigidity of the holder savestime during a surgical procedure as the surgeon does not have to unfolda flexible cover, such as a pillow case and then search for the properplacement of his hands so that contamination does not ensue.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the holderfrom one side.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the cap in position onthe container.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the top edge of the container showing arounded bead on the edge.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a modification of a cap and the top of acontainer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIG. 1, thiscassette holder 1 is formed of two main parts a container 3 and a cap 4.The container 3 is formed having four sides 5 and a bottom 7, with thetop 9 being open. Said open top or end 9 has a flared portion 11therearound with the upper edge formed having a rounded lip or bead 13on the inner side. The head 13 provides the upper edge with a littleextra rigidity for maintaining the shape of the opening to the flaredportion 11 which acts as a guide to direct the X-ray cassette into thecontainer. This is important so that the entry of the X-ray cassetteinto the container is not made difficult, which would lengthen the timeof the operation and increase the danger of contamination. Even if thedirty cassette contacts the inwardly extending portion of the bead, itwill be sealed within the cap.

The cap 4 is formed having four sides and a top 17 with the bottom 19being open. Said open bottom or end 19 having a flared portion 21therearound. An indentation 23 is formed around the cap 4 near the top17. This indentation forms an inwardly projecting portion or rib 24around the inner part of the cap 4. The rounded lip or bead 13, after ithas been guided into the cap by the flared portion 21 which forms alarger opening than flared portion 11, snaps over the inwardlyprojecting portion 24 formed by the indentation 23. The rounded lip orbead 13 on the upper edge of the flared portion 11, while holding thecap on, also provides a sealing action between the container 3 and theinside of the top of the cap 4. The inside dimensions of the cap at thispoint can be controlled to arrive at the proper sealing; if a largerflared portion 11 is used, the top of the cap could be enlarged toaccommodate this. While the inwardly projecting portion 24 is shownformed by an indentation 23, it may be formed by other means, such asthe bonding of an inwardly projecting portion to the interior of thecap.

The container 3 is formed having a wedge-shaped sealing member 25extending therearound with an outer sealing surface 27. The wedge-shapedcrosssection can be seen in FIG. 2. The sealing member 25 may be formedseparately and bonded or fixed to the container by any known means, orit can be formed integrally with the container. As seen in FIG. 3, asthe lip 13 of the container snaps over the inwardly projecting portion24, the upper inner part of the flared portion 21 forms a seal with thesurface 27 of sealing member 25.

Straps 30 and 32 connect the cap 4 to the container 3. The straps arelocated on one long side of the holder and are fixed at one end to thecontainer 3 below the seal member 25 so as not to interfere with thesnapping on of the cap 4 and the other end is attached to the cap alongone of its long sides. The ends of the straps can be connected to thecap 4 or container 3 by plastic rivets. However, these can be bonded byother means which will prevent any bump from appearing within the holderwhich would interfere with either the cassette being placed in thecontainer, or the cap ,being placed over the container.

In a design of the holder for a specific-sized cassette, the materialchosen was clear vinyl of approximately 0.020 inches thickness. The capin place covered approximately 25 percent of the upper portion of thecontainer and the top of the container was designed to be at least 1inch above the top of the cassette when inserted in the container, andthe seal member was designed to be at least one inch below the top ofthe cassette when inserted in the container. This permits the bead 13 tosnap in place without interference from the cassette and permits thecassette to act as a support for the wedging of the surface 27 of theseal member 26 against the inside of the flared portion 21 of the cap.

A modification of a cap 4a and container top 9a is shown in FIG. 5. Thecap 4a is shown in solid lines off of the container and is shown inphantom positioned in place. The container top 9a has a flared portion11a for guiding the X-ray cassette and the plug-type section 8a of thetop of the cap 4a into the container. The sides of the plug section 8ataper inwardly at an angle of approximately 2 and this plug-type section8a fits snugly into the opening 10a for sealing engagement. A curvededge portion 12a forms an annular groove 14a around the top of the cap4a. This construction acts as a sterile protection lip for the containertop 9a. While the sides of the curved edge portion 12a are shownextending only a short distance to an open bottom, they can extenddownwardly in the same manner as the sides 15 of the cap 4 and thecontainer can have a sealing member 25. Venting means can be provided tofacilitate entry of the plug-type section 8a into the container ifnecessary.

Straps are connected to the cap 4a in the same manner as they are to cap4. A strap 32a is shown in FIG. 5 and is shown bonded to the cap 4a.

I claim:

1. Means for holding an unsterile X-ray cassette in use comprising acontainer which is formed having four sides and a bottom with an opentop; said container material being transparent and capable of permittingthe passage of X-rays; the inside dimensions of said sides and bottom ofsaid container being sized to permit an unsterile X-ray cassette to bereceived therein; said open top having a first outwardly extending flareto facilitate the entry of a free end of an unsterile X-ray cassette; acap for saidcontainer; said cap having four sides and a top with an openbottom; the inside dimensions of said sides and top of said cappermitting said open top of said container to be received therein; saidopen bottom having a second outwardly extending flare to facilitate theentry of the first outwardly extending flare of said container therein;and a sealing projection is located around said container and spacedfrom the top of said container so as to engage the inner surface of thesecond outwardly extending flare of said cap for sealing when the cap ison the container.

2. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein the edge of said open tophas a bead therearound to maintain the shape of the open top.

3. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cap has an inwardlyprojecting peripheral rib spaced from the top of said cap for holdingthe cap on the top of said first outwardly extending flare of saidcontainer after the top of the container has been moved past theperipheral rib.

4. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sealing projection hasa surface extending at an angle tapering outwardly as it extendsdownwardly, said angle being approximately equal to the flare angle ofthe second outwardly extending flare of said cap so as to engage theinner surface for sealing when the cap is on the container.

5. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first outwardlyextending flare flares outwardly to where the outer periphery thereof islarger than the inside dimension of said sides of said cap.

6. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second outwardlyextending flare flares outwardly to where the inner periphery is largerthan the outer periphery of the open top of the first outwardlyextending flare.

7. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cap is fixed to saidcontainer by strap means on one side so that the open bottom of the capcan be easily brought into alignment with the open top of the containerfor placement thereon.

8. Means for holding an unsterile X-ray cassette in use comprising acontainer which is formed having four sides and a bottom with an opentop; said container material being transparent and capable of permittingthe passage of X-rays; the inside dimensions of said sides and bottom ofsaid container being sized to permit an unsterile X-ray cassette to bereceived therein; said open top having a first outwardly extending flareto facilitate the entry of a free end of an unsterile X-ray cassette; acap for said container; said cap having four sides and a top with anopen bottom; the inside dimensions of said sides and top of said cappermitting said open top of said container to be received therein; saidopen bottom having a second outwardly extending flare to facilitate theentry of the first outwardly extending flare of said container therein;said cap having an inwardly projecting peripheral rib spaced from thetop of said cap for holding the cap on the top of said first outwardlyextending flare of said container after the top of said container hasbeen moved past the peripheral rib, a sealing projection is locatedaround said container and spaced from the top of said container, saidsealing projection having a surface extending at an angle taperingoutwardly as it extends downwardly, said angle being approximately equalto the flare angle of the second outwardly extending flare of said capso as to engage the inner surface for sealing when the cap is on thecontainer, said sealing projection being spaced from the top of saidcontainer a distance such that as the top of the container has beenmoved past the peripheral rib on said cap the sealing surface of saidprojection is in contact with the inner surface of the second outwardlyextending flare of said cap.

9. A holder as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bead projects inwardlyof the open top to aid in preventing engagement of an unsterile X-raycassette with the outer surface of the container when one is beinginserted.

1. Means for holding an unsterile X-ray cassette in use comprising a container which is formed having four sides and a bottom with an open top; said container material being transparent and capable of permitting the passage of X-rays; the inside dimensions of said sides and bottom of said container being sized to permit an unsterile X-ray cassette to be received therein; said open top having a first outwardly extending flare to facilitate the entry of a free end of an unsterile X-ray cassette; a cap for said container; said cap having four sides and a top with an open bottom; the inside dimensions of said sides and top of said cap permitting said open top of said container to be received therein; said open bottom having a second outwardly extending flare to facilitate the entry of the first outwardly extending flare of said container therein; and a sealing projection is located around said container and spaced from the top of said container so as to engage the inner surface of the second outwardly extending flare of said cap for sealing when the cap is on the container.
 2. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein the edge of said open top has a bead therearound to maintain the shape of the open top.
 3. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cap has an inwardly projecting peripheral rib spaced from the top of said cap for holding the cap on the top of said first outwardly extending flare of said container after the top of the container has been moved past the peripheral rib.
 4. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sealing projection has a surface extending at an angle tapering outwardly as it extends downwardly, said angle being approximately equal to the flare angle of the second outwardly extending flare of said cap so as to engage the inner surface for sealing when the cap is on the container.
 5. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first outwardly extending flare flares outwardly to where the outer periphery thereof is larger than the inside dimension of said sides of said cap.
 6. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second outwardly extending flare flares outwardly to where the inner periphery is larger than the outer periphery of the open top of the first outwardly extending flare.
 7. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cap is fixed to said container by strap means on one side so that the open bottom of the cap can be easily brought into alignment with the open top of the container for placement thereon.
 8. Means for holding an unsterile X-ray cassette in use comprising a container which is formed having four sides and a bottom with an open top; said container material being transparent and capable of permitting the passage of X-rays; the inside dimensions of said sides and bottom of said container being sized to permit an unsterile X-ray cassette to be received therein; said open top having a first outwardly extending flare to facilitate the entry of a free end of an unsterile X-ray cassette; a cap for said container; said cap having four sides and a top with an open bottom; the inside dimensions of said sides and top of said cap permitting said open top of said container to be received therein; said open bottom having a second outwardly extending flare to facilitate the entry of the first outwardly extending flare of said container therein; said cap having an inwardly projecting peripheral rib spaced from the top of said cap for holding the cap on the top of said first outwardly extending flare of said container after the top of said container has been moved past the peripheral rib, a sealing projection is located around said container and spaced from the top of said container, said sealing projection having a surface extending at an angle tapering outwardly as it extends downwardly, said angle being approximately equal to the flare angle of the second outwardly extending flare of said cAp so as to engage the inner surface for sealing when the cap is on the container, said sealing projection being spaced from the top of said container a distance such that as the top of the container has been moved past the peripheral rib on said cap the sealing surface of said projection is in contact with the inner surface of the second outwardly extending flare of said cap.
 9. A holder as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bead projects inwardly of the open top to aid in preventing engagement of an unsterile X-ray cassette with the outer surface of the container when one is being inserted. 